Parting Shot
by Listening to trees
Summary: Xanxus never lets go. X27; character death.


Title: Parting Shot  
Rating: PG-15 for copious amounts of swearing and character death (which is also a spoiler for those who haven't watched/ read the TYL arc.)  
Genre: Angst, romance  
Pairing: XanxusxTsuna (X27); implied SqualoxYamamoto or YamaGoku if you like.  
Summary: Xanxus never really lets go.

* * *

A blood infection.

Somehow, the motherfucking quacks had overlooked, and subsequently, allowed the Tenth Vongola boss to die of a goddamn _blood infection_.

It came to Xanxus in an instant that he needed to kill this trembling, bespectacled mouse of a man before him; for daring to even suggest that such ridiculous_ bullshit _could actually have happened, but the damn shark was holding his arms back and shouting at him. Something about how the Vongola would rather have their doctors alive right now; but fuck if he cared. So what if it was some rarely-seen virus? All he wanted to do was get his hands on that worthless shit, and the Ninth reincarnated couldn't help him.

So the next thing he did after beating the shark to a bloody submission was to stage a rampage over the entire castle; destroying everything in sight until he found that piece of trash. Somewhere along his search, he came across yet another room, and was about to demolish it when a streak of silver revealed the Vongola Storm Guardian; barring his path with a determined grimace. At this point, Xanxus was so completely lost in his wrath that it never occurred to him that this was the Decimo's most faithful right-hand man. Instead, he simply lifted a hand and blasted the man out of his way while taking out the whole section of wall behind him. What Xanxus wasn't prepared for was the sight that greeted him as the dust cleared: a weary-eyed Vongola Rain Guardian shielding what was unmistakably the body of Sawada Tsunayoshi from the shrapnel of the explosion.

Xanxus froze. Those vermillion eyes widened. The bomber had limped over to –Yamamoto? Yamamoto– Takeshi's side to join the foray and block their leader from him; but Xanxus could hardly give a damn. The only thing he could focus on was the small, bloodless face that had so easily extended smiles to him, with not a hint of hatred or fear; the same face that had gradually won his grudging acknowledgement. The flame-coloured eyes that had haunted, puzzled and frustrated him for so long were now closed. Xanxus had slaughtered enough to know that men of their trade did not die looking like they'd only fallen asleep; it seemed that Sawada Tsunayoshi would be one of the few blessed exceptions.

A calloused hand reached out unconsciously; a sword and strapped-on cannon appeared. Whatever might have happened next was dispelled by a screamed "Stop!" as a green-haired man entered. Lussuria stood there, panting; as he was followed in by a very disheveled Squalo.

"VOOOIII! What is the meaning of this? Takeshi, stop pointing your stupid katana at boss AT ONCE," the long-haired Varia member ordered, only to have his usually complacent disciple ignore him. The swordsman would have screamed his protest again if Lussuria hadn't placed a hand on his shoulder and stepped in. "Mah, mah," the effeminate man said, holding his hands in a placating manner. "It's not like we're really here to fight or anything; so let's just lay off with the weapons, all right?" "Tell _him_ to do that first!" spat Gokudera; furious eyes never leaving Xanxus. "If he takes another step closer to Jyuudaime like that, I'll break his fucking legs." "VOOOIII! I'd like to see you try that; freaking octopus-head!" Squalo had already bared his sword when Lal Mirch came out of nowhere and dropkicked him.

"FUCKING IDIOTS!" She roared. "Fighting like a couple of immature underlings; when the enemy's right at our doors! Gokudera, Yamamoto, you should be ashamed of yourselves! You knew how hard _he_ had worked to make the Vongola and Varia cooperate."

That had the Guardians silenced; the darker of the pair already lowering his sword. The bomber struggled. "But–" " 'Dera." The silver-haired mafioso turned to the taller man, who had sighed. "Please, just drop it. It's not like they can do anything to hurt Tsuna anymore." At that, his voice was positively filled with sorrow; and a similar strain of emotions ran through the Storm Guardian's eyes as he finally acquiesced.

"Well," said Lussuria, breaking the heavy quiet. "Someone has to send this idiot," He nodded down at Squalo, still out cold; "to the medics before he wakes up." With that, he began to lift the swordsman. Yamamoto laughed weakly; displaying a shadow of his former self; as he walked towards the fighter. "I'll go with you." And between them, they left with each of the shark's arms on a shoulder.

Gokudera appeared to be wrestling with himself as he watched them go. "Cheh!" He spat, and walked out without another word; but not before shooting Xanxus with a murderous glare. The half-Arcobaleno gave a far cooler glance to the Varia leader –who had never moved from his spot through the entire commotion– and stomped off with a snort.

No one could say how much time passed before he moved.

As he strode forward, garnet eyes inspected the body with the calm detachment of a professional. Muscles relaxed; face composed; no sign of surprise or any internal struggle. So he had died in a relatively peaceful state; perhaps even anticipated the bullet moments before it struck him; with his hyper intuition. A scarred brow twitched at that thought.

As his vision grazed past the mark the bullet left on Sawada's chest, the sensations returned. The feeling of that creamy skin; the lean muscular planes on it, and what that had felt like under him. He wanted to tell himself that it was just the sex he would miss; but instinctively he knew that there would be the smile; that bloody idiotic grin that had always pissed him off; because no one who could match him in strength should look so _open_.

Xanxus's fingers grabbed at the thick brown hair and pulled; forcing the face upwards. The kiss was brutal, harsh and final; everything a goodbye should be. Goodbye to the man he'd so loathed; goodbye to his unwanted forgiveness and compassion. Goodbye to the fucking soulfulness he could never fathom.

Goodbye to his damn obsession.

Almost at once, the living man turned swiftly on his heel. He never looked back.

* * *

When the autopsy report came in 3 days later; about a certain virus-containing, gel-coated bullet; his rage had already grown cold. As cold as the flames of the Zero Point Breakthrough; purpose found and aimed at a single target. The Millefiore. The Millefiore would bleed for this.

Standing before the Vongola castle on the long-awaited hour of their assault, he raised his gun and fired.

*Owari.* 

A/N:

i) Since we don't know exactly _how_ Tsuna died (blood loss? The bullet hitting right on the brain or heart?), I decided to take the liberty of using bioweapons. It occurred to me that the Millefiore would have left nothing to chance. Sorry to those of you who expect him to perish in a dignified all-out battle!

ii) You guys may also have noticed that this story could be fitted into canon; as in Shouichi's revelation after the Choice games; where Tsuna was said to have faked his death. He did state explicitly; how only he, TYL-Hibari and Tsuna himself knew the truth. So I assumed Xanxus; lover or not, wasn't invited into that confidence. He is a rather volatile wild card, after all.

iii) I would also like to apologise to all Squalo fans (I'm one myself ) for putting him through so much abuse. I figured that the only way to desist him from a fight was to knock him out cold. Ok, maybe the dropkick wasn't necessary; but seeing how Xanxus treats him, our favourite shark is only second to Lussuria with the life force of a cockroach.

iv)As for the doctor, he spent one nerve-wracking week avoiding Xanxus like the plague before accidentally crossing paths with him. But the Varia leader just flicked a glance at him and moved on –he had completely forgotten about him. (Xanxus doesn't waste mind space on shrimps. XD)

Parting Shot was one of my first X27 fics; and the most personal one I've ever written. It might've come across as too simplistic and rough, so you can expect a rewrite to up the language a bit when I have the time.


End file.
